This invention relates to brake cables, drum brake backplate, drum brake assemblies, and methods of assembling brake cables onto drum brake assemblies. In particular the invention relates to guides for guiding a brake cable inner portion towards an automatic latching device on a brake shoe lever in a blind manner i.e. when the brake cable inner portion and the automatic latching device is obscured from view and/or inaccessible to any assembly tools.
It is an object of the present invention to provide improved brake cables, drum brake backplate and drum brake assemblies and also to provide an improved method of assembling a brake cable onto a drum brake assembly.
This in accordance with the present invention there is provided a method of assembling a brake cable assembly onto a drum brake assembly, the brake cable assembly comprising a cable inner with an end fitting and a cable outer comprising a cable sheath and a guide, the drum brake assembly comprising at least a back plate and a lever for operation of a brake shoe to provide a parking function, the lever having an automatic latching device, the method comprising the steps of
a) inserting the guide with the cable inner portion therein through a hole in the backplate
b) positioning the cable assembly such that an open end of the guide is presented adjacent the automatic latching device
c) advancing the cable inner through the cable outer such that the end fitting is guided towards, and engages the automatic latching device.
Furthermore in accordance with the present invention there is also provided a drum brake backplate including a brake cable hole and an adjacent orientation feature to ensure correct alignment of a brake cable during fitting of the brake cable.